Barnes Scores Two Goals as The Magpies Defeat Benfica and Jose Mourinho
When the Benfica manager arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, home supporters feared a difficult match. But such worries disappeared due to a strike from the winger and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, making sure the visitors' coach did not inflict pain for Howe's team.
Match Flow and Initial Exchanges
Mourinho had forecast that Newcastle would be very physical, but his own team showed their similar combative approach. Benfica certainly delighted in disrupting the Magpies' early attempts to establish a fluent passing rhythm.
Compounding Newcastle's challenges, key players, Tonali and the Brazilian, began as substitutes as they continued recovering from illness and a knock respectively.
Prior to the start, the two managers shared a perfunctory, reserved embrace, and it soon became apparent that Mourinho had told his side to subdue the crowd by delaying the game and lowering the intensity at every chance.
Critical Events and Turning Points
Benfica's tactic yielded mixed results, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates succeeded to break through Benfica's defensive barricades, they initially found it hard to create good opportunities.
Moreover, Benfica's Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio nearly showed scoring skill when, after beating Dan Burn on the ground, he forced Nick Pope with a tremendous shot that required an terrific single-hand save. No wonder Pope still hopes for an national team recall in time for the World Cup.
Yet when the winger directed a further shot against the woodwork, the home side woke up. Murphy fired wide, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive close-range stop from Guimaraes before Gordon finally opened the deadlock.
Gordon's blazing speed had created consternation for the Benfica coach all night, and he calmly slotted the opener past Trubin after Murphy's early ball into the box proved effective.
When Newcastle's hard, pressing game was not anticipated by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was available to deliver a low cross across the goal for the winger to finish.
Later Stages and Decisive Changes
From the beginning, Benfica could not be accused of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now their players pushed forward with total freedom. The winger repeatedly showed an ability to destabilize Newcastle's back four, and the home team were probably relieved to regroup at the break.
The first half ended with the keeper once more rescuing his team by diverting Lukebakio's shot wide of the goal frame, and as the sides came out for the next period, everything seemed finely balanced.
While Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three European games this campaign, played with the zeal of a winger aiming to shift the power balance in Newcastle's direction, Lukebakio had different ideas.
The manager's No 11 had already emphasized that, while Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a born full-back, and home hearts were nervous every time Lukebakio moved forward.
The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not headed a set-piece over the bar from a good position. Instead, this absorbing game continued to swing from end to end, prompting Newcastle's coach to bring on Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.
The Benfica boss, at the same time, threw on an additional striker in Franjo Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a gamble that backfired.
Harvey Barnes Wins the Game
Before that, the away team, and in particular their Portugal defender Antonio Silva, had done a good job in restricting Nick Woltemade's room and pushing Newcastle's Germany centre-forward back. But now, with defender Amar Dedic off, the backline was underpowered, and the path was open for Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only attacking winger.
Newcastle's two changes was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper sent a superb long throw in the substitute's direction. When Antonio Silva, for once, misread the flight, Barnes was clear, accelerating into the area before keeping impressive poise to fire a superb shot past the keeper.
When Barnes slid a low effort through unfortunate the goalkeeper's feet after receiving Gordon's excellent pass, it was all over. Mourinho had cautioned that the Magpies have several very fast wide attackers, and three goals from two wingers had destroyed his chances of securing the team's first Champions League result of the campaign.
